"Neither did I," said his wife.

M. Formery paused. Then he said, "How long have you been in the
service of M. Gournay-Martin?"

"A little more than a year," said the concierge.

M. Formery looked at the paper in his hand, frowned, and said
severely, "I see you've been convicted twice, my man."

"Yes, sir, but--"

"My husband's an honest man, sir--perfectly honest," broke in his
wife. "You've only to ask M. Gournay-Martin; he'll--"

"Be so good as to keep quiet, my good woman," said M. Formery; and,
turning to her husband, he went on: "At your first conviction you
were sentenced to a day's imprisonment with costs; at your second
conviction you got three days' imprisonment."

"I'm not going to deny it, sir," said the concierge; "but it was an
honourable imprisonment."

"Honourable?" said M. Formery.

"The first time, I was a gentleman's servant, and I got a day's
imprisonment for crying, 'Hurrah for the General Strike!'--on the
first of May."

"You were a valet? In whose service?" said M. Formery.